Tooth Fairy and Homeschooling

Campbell lost a couple of teeth this week. We were on the way to school one morning, when he said matter-of-factly, "Mommy, can you stop, so I can get unbuckled and get my tooth? It flew across the car." I didn't even know he was back there wiggling it! We still haven't found it yet. I hope that doesn't gross anybody out who will eventually ride in my car! :) Luckily, the tooth fairy trusted him and gave him money without evidence. The next day, Cam pulled out the other lateral incisor and dropped it in a clothing drawer while trying to put it into his tooth bank. I found that one pretty quickly, though.

Campbell's other big news is that I will begin homeschooling him after spring break. So, this is his last week of "real" school. I've often considered homeschooling and have read lots of books on it. I was just never ready to commit to it. This will be a nice two-month trial period (April and May) that will help us decide what to do next year. Campbell loves to learn and works very well one-on-one. Group settings are difficult for him if he's not interested in the subject. He does well in math and science classes because those subjects interest and challenge him. But in geography and poetry, for example, he is bored and acts out. Even in a class of only 10 students, it is hard for the teacher to differentiate every little thing and find a way to get Cam engaged in a topic he's not interested in.

I plan to begin with an eclectic style, following Campbell's lead on what he wants to learn. He is motivated and driven and has already made a list of topics he'd like to study and textbooks he's been using in school that he would like to continue, so I think this style will work for us. I also plan to recruit adult friends of mine as mentors for mini-seminars in special topics Campbell would like to learn (Powerpoint and Mixing Music on the Computer, for example).

Helene will continue in her PreK class for the rest of the year, except on Wednesdays. Wednesdays were a short day for her anyway, so it's not worth the drive to take her, when Campbell is not going, and she likes to have a break in the middle of the week anyway (8-3 every day is a long time for a 5-year-old). So, one day a week, I can homeschool both of them and see how that goes. I'll have lots of decisions to make before next school year - homeschool both, just one and have the other at public school, just one and the other at private school, just one and the other at a charter school, . . .